Drugs warning for young: ‘you are not immortal’
9:03am Tuesday 10th January 2012 in News
A CORONER has warned young people that they are “not immortal” after the drugs-related death of a 20-year-old-man.
Bolton coroner Jennifer Leeming spoke out after an inquest into the death of Jamie Lee Trafford who died after taking the banned drug mephedrone, the inquest heard.
Mr Trafford died in June when mephedrone, also known as “Bubble” and “Meow Meow”, caused an undetected heart condition to deteriorate. The substance was made illegal in 2010.
Mr Trafford, of Ashawe Close, Little Hulton, suffered multiple organ failure and heart failure, caused by cardiomyopathy, a condition of the heart which could have been caused by a virus when he was younger.
Traces of mephedrone were found in his blood and it was ruled the drug was a contributing factor in his death.
Toxicologist Julie Evans said the drug “could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
The inquest heard how Mr Trafford, who had hoped to join the Army, was not a prolific drug user and there was no evidence that he took drugs on a regular basis.
Mr Trafford had complained of feeling unwell and breathless just weeks before his death.
On May 18, his mother, Sharon Butler, took him to the Royal Bolton Hospital after he accidentally overdosed on paracetamol he was taking for severe abdominal pain.
He was discharged after treatment, but was readmitted on May 31 after blood tests showed there were abnormalities with his heart.
It is believed he took mephedrone the day before he was readmitted and he died on June 3.
Dr Fred Kemah, the consultant cardiologist who treated Mr Trafford, confirmed that mephedrone precipitated the “acute deterioration” of his heart.
Coroner Mrs Leeming recorded a narrative verdict and said Mr Trafford died from naturally-occurring cardiomyopathy and said mephedrone contributed to his death.
She added: “We can learn something here.
“Jamie has taught us something very positive which is that young people use recreational drugs and they think they are immortal.
“They see their friends using them and nobody seems to be particularly harmed, but you don’t know what your own body’s reaction could be, you don’t know what underlying condition you might have that makes you particularly susceptible.
“Sadly for Jamie, he didn’t know that he had an underlying condition.
“The positive thing he can teach others is
